I have never been very musically talented. I never learned to play an instrument, although I could play “Mary had a little lamb” on my grandmother’s piano. Growing up I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but that never happened.
But music has still played a large role in my life. As a traumatized child, I played songs over and over in my head, mostly songs I had learned in Sunday school and school. These songs brought great comfort, and served as an emotional release that I could not express verbally. As I got older, the radio became my choice of music, and it became a great distraction and decreased my anxiety, putting me in a safe place emotionally when I couldn’t be there physically.
Music is an excellent tool to combat the negative effects of trauma. Nearly all of us use music to cope with our day, whether we realize it or not. Sometimes I wish my teenage daughter would turn the volume of her music down a bit, but I am happy that she has found music to help her cope with her stressors and questions in life.
As I mentioned above, I’m not a musical person, but I still sang to my kids when they were young, and they remember this. Now they just laugh when I sing {as does my husband} because I cannot carry a tune, but they are all grateful for the introduction of music into their lives at a young age.